Alliance between Xchanging and FirstCare should improve absence management offering

As organisations look to drive up efficiencies and lower operational costs, it is hoped this alliance will offer customers a suite of competitively priced, individual HR disciplines.

Xchanging will add FirstCare's absence management and occupational health pre-employment screening services to its portfolio. 

Following the recent acquisition of Active Health Partners, FirstCare's absence management service now covers occupational health and pandemic planning expertise. 

Between them, FirstCare and Xchanging offer a wide range of HR services including day-one absence management, real-time absence reporting, occupational health programmes, pre-employment and background screening, pandemic planning, HR data management, recruitment, payroll and remuneration services, talent and succession planning, global mobility, HR advice and administration.

Aaron Ross, CEO of FirstCare, said: "We continually strive to offer innovative and cost-effective solutions to our customers. Our partnership with Xchanging will further enhance the range of services available to our customer base. We can now offer them a complete HR package, allowing them to further benefit from the cost-savings provided by outsourcing.

And Kath Lowey, managing director of Xchanging HR Services, added: "FirstCare's offering has great synergy with our end-to-end HR lifecycle proposition, so this alliance was a natural fit for us. In the current climate, organisations are looking for greater value from their HR solutions.

"Together FirstCare and Xchanging can offer not only a wide range of competitively- priced services but a level of expertise in HR process and delivery that customers seek."